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Customer Support · head to head

Freshworks Customer Service Suite vs LiveChat

Freshworks Customer Service Suite logo

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Customer Support

Unified customer service powered by AI

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
LiveChat logo

LiveChat

Live Chat & Chatbots

Customer service software that delights

From
$20/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Freshworks Customer Service Suite separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams; LiveChat the Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • They diverge on capability: Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers Unified inbox, LiveChat covers Live chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Freshworks Customer Service Suite and LiveChat actually diverge.

Attributes where Freshworks Customer Service Suite and LiveChat differ
AttributeFreshworks Customer Service SuiteLiveChat
Starting priceFree$20/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile (iOS, Android)Web, Ios, Android, Desktop
CategoryCustomer SupportLive Chat & Chatbots
Founded20102002

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Unified inbox
  • AI-powered chatbot
  • Ticketing system
  • Self-service portal
  • Automation
  • Slack
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SOC2

Only in LiveChat

  • Live chat
  • Ticketing
  • Chat routing
  • Canned responses
  • File sharing
  • WordPress
  • HubSpot
  • PCI DSS

Both cover

  • Analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Shopify
  • Zapier
  • GDPR
  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Customer supportnot LiveChat
  • Help desknot LiveChat
  • Self-servicenot LiveChat

LiveChat

  • Live chat support on a website with agent routingnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite
  • Handling customer conversations across chat, SMS and messaging channelsnot Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

  • Separate products for support, chat, and CRM create context fragmentation between teams
  • Add-ons and renewal uplifts typically increase real costs 30-50% above published pricing
  • Customization beyond default configurations requires significant training and consulting fees

LiveChat

  • The Starter plan retains only 60 days of chat history, so an audit trail requires the Team plan at $49 per person per month
  • Pricing is per agent, so support cost scales with headcount rather than with conversation volume
  • AI reply suggestions are capped by plan, at 3 knowledge sources on Starter and 10 above it
  • Surveys and eye catchers are predefined rather than customisable below the Enterprise plan
  • SSO, white labelling and HIPAA compliance are Enterprise only

Pricing, plan by plan

Freshworks Customer Service Suite

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Freshworks Customer Service Suite review.

LiveChat

$20/month
  • Starter$20/month
    • 60-day chat history
    • Basic customization
    • Ticketing system
  • Team$41/month
    • Unlimited history
    • Advanced reporting
    • Branding removal
  • Business$59/month
    • Staffing prediction
    • Work scheduler
    • Apple Business Chat
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Dedicated account manager
    • Product training
    • SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Freshworks Customer Service Suite if

  • You need unified inbox.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android).
  • You also want ai-powered chatbot.
Freshworks Customer Service Suite review

Choose LiveChat if

  • You need live chat.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
  • You also want ticketing.
LiveChat review

Questions people ask

Is Freshworks Customer Service Suite or LiveChat better?
Neither clearly leads. Freshworks Customer Service Suite starts at Free and LiveChat at $20/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Freshworks Customer Service Suite or LiveChat?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Freshworks Customer Service Suite and $20/month for LiveChat.
Does Freshworks Customer Service Suite or LiveChat run on more platforms?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite runs on Web, Mobile (iOS, Android). LiveChat runs on Web, Ios, Android, Desktop.
Can I use Freshworks Customer Service Suite for free?
Yes. Freshworks Customer Service Suite has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. LiveChat starts at $20/month.
What is Freshworks Customer Service Suite best used for?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite is most often used for customer support, help desk, self-service. Of those, customer support and help desk are not what LiveChat is typically brought in for.
What can Freshworks Customer Service Suite do that LiveChat cannot?
Freshworks Customer Service Suite covers Unified inbox, AI-powered chatbot, Ticketing system, Self-service portal. LiveChat covers Live chat, Ticketing, Chat routing, Canned responses. Both handle Analytics, Salesforce, Shopify, Zapier.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Freshworks Customer Service Suite: What products are included in Freshworks Customer Service Suite?

The suite includes Freshdesk for support ticketing, Freshchat for live chat and messaging, and Freshsales for CRM. Pricing varies per product based on features and user count.

Source
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks offer a free tier?

Yes. Freshdesk offers a free plan for 1-2 agents for 6 months. Paid plans start at $19/agent/month for Growth tier.

Source
Freshworks Customer Service Suite: Does Freshworks integrate with Slack?

Yes. Freshworks offers official Slack integration via the Freshdesk and Freshservice Slack apps, enabling ticket creation, notifications, and agent messaging directly in Slack.

Source
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Related pages

More on Freshworks Customer Service Suite

More on LiveChat

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